Nyctophobia
by Tomadahawk
Summary: Eglantine is an owlet. She lives with her brother, mother and father at the crown of a large tree. Eglantine is the same as every owlet that has been - except for one thing... she is afraid of the dark. Her parents keep telling that dark is best, but it's no use. Finally, her mother tells her to ask other owls what they think of the dark, and Eglantine is amazed at their replies...


_**Hey there, everyone! Tomadahawk here! Here with another story, but this time, it's from Legend of the Guardians (such an awesome movie) and for those who are part of the Rio Army and adores the books and films of it, thanks for the huge support while I was in hospital. I've been thinking so much about you all and how you all kept going on – writing stories for other people to read through while I was recovering. It's so good to be back!**_

 _ **This story is based off a children's book called "The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark" and it has the best illustrations I have ever seen in a while! I think I adore owls more than parrots when I bought it. My story is going to be like that, but with Legend of the Guardians characters. This takes place after the movie, in case anyone gets confused when this took place.**_

 _ **Enjoy reading my first ever Legend of the Guardians fan-made story! :D**_

"I don't want to be a night bird! The dark is scary!"

It was twilight in Ga'hoole and at the Great Tree; a female owlet was letting her mother know about her fear of the dark while her father was out hunting for food.

"You don't know that, Eglantine," Marella said. "You'd better find out about the dark before you make up your mind. Look, there's your brother down there. Why don't you go ask him?"

So Eglantine, who was quite advanced at flying, seized a great breath and flew down through the chartreuse leaves.

An adolescent Barn Owl was holding a jar filled with fireflies with his talons as he caught sight of Eglantine leaping off a branch and landing on the ground with a somersault. She shook her head and smiled at him.

"Soren, my brother!" Eglantine said. "I've come to find out about the dark."

"The dark is thrilling," Soren told his small sister. "We're releasing the fireflies into the atmosphere tonight!"

"Does it have to be dark?" Eglantine asked his brother.

"Of course!" Soren replied. "You can't catch spot the fireflies unless it's dark. Look out for them later!"

He embraced his sister, before taking off between the boles.

"Well, what did your brother tell you?" his father, Noctus, said when Eglantine arrived back at the nest.

"Soren said dark is thrilling," Eglantine responded before curling herself up into an orb. "I still do not like it at all! But I will watch the fireflies in the night sky if you will sit by me."

Her mother and father smiled and wrapped their wings around her.

"We will sit by you, won't we, dear?" Noctus said to which Marella nodded.

 _That night…_

Eglantine and her parents witnessed Soren and the rest of the Guardians in an open clearing, freeing the fireflies out of their jars and into the atmosphere. A luminosity of amber coiled around the full moon until they were close together. The phosphorescence sphere moderately shrunk until all the owls could perceive was a tiny dot, which was one of the fireflies. When it hovered away into the night sky, Noctus went out hunting again. All day and night, he brought food back to the hollow to feed his young, until daylight came and it was time for bed.

Halfway through the morning, Eglantine woke up. Marella opened one bleary eye.

"Dear, why don't you find out more about the dark?" she suggested without waking up her husband.

When Marella peered outside, she noticed a female short-eared owl, known to many as Otulissa, perching on a branch as she turned to her daughter.

"Why don't you find out some more about the dark? Go and ask that owl over there."

Marella pointed her wing to where Otulissa was as Eglantine flew out of her nest. She landed by the short-eared owl with a thump.

"Hello!" she said politely. "I've come to ask you about the dark. I want to go hunting, just like my daddy and brother, but they always go hunting in the dark and I'm afraid of it."

"How odd," Otulissa said. "Now, I love the dark. Kind the dark is. I can forget the problems I have before and remember all the wonderful times here in Ga'Hoole."

"I haven't much to remember, yet," Eglantine said. "I'm rather new, you see."

 _Later…_

"Well?" Marella said, as Eglantine flew up to the landing branch.

"Otulissa says the dark is kind, but I still do not like it at all."

That evening, when her brother and both her parents, Eglantine closed her eyes and tried to recall something to call in mind.

Instantly she heard a contented cry and Eglantine forgot about being afraid of the dark. She peered through the leaves and glimpsed at a great grey owl perching on a log. Eglantine flew down, landing with an enormous thud.

"Excuse me," Eglantine said. "I've come to see what's going on.

"I'm guarding the fire, little one." Twilight chuckled. "Digger has gone to do some tracking in the dark. Lucky he's useful.

"Do you like the dark?" Eglantine asked.

"I sure do!" Twilight replied, and then he got out an acoustic guitar. "The dark is fun. Digger and I are going to make insect drinks and sing around the fire. Would you like to stay, little one?"

So Eglantine stayed.

She, Twilight and Digger sang until the fire had sunk to a crimson shine as Eglantine waved them goodbye and flew home to the Great Tree.

"Where have you been?" Marella asked, demanding an answer from her daughter.

"I met Twilight and Digger – and they said the dark is fun. I still do not like it at all – but I think singing around the fire is awesome!"

Eglantine slept nearly all day. By evening, she was wide awake.

"It's getting up-time, Daddy!" she shouted, butting her father with his tummy.

Noctus gazed up at the sky.

"Not quite yet, Eglantine," he said. "Wait till it's dark."

That night, Eglantine watched her brother and her parents take off to go hunting again. Gaping through the leaves, she found a cocoa-coloured elf owl that was about the same height as her, standing on the soil below.

So Eglantine flew down, landing with a gentle bump.

"Oh my Glaux!" the small elf owl said. "You startled me.

"Sorry, Gylfie," Eglantine cringed.

She spotted something in Gylfie's tiny wings.

"What's that you got there?" Eglantine asked.

"I think it's some sort of… te-le-scope." Gylfie replied, shrugging her shoulders. "One said it's for looking at the stars and planets at night, whatever that means."

"I don't like the dark very much," Eglantine said.

Gylfie had one brow up, and then smiled.

"Really? But the dark is wonderful. I'll show you."

Gylfie and Eglantine took a look through the telescope. The elf owl showed the owlet lots of stars and how they made patterns in the night sky. Gylfie pointed out the bright Pole star, the Plough, the Dog Star and The Eye of Glaux.

"Thank you." Eglantine said as he flew back to her family.

 _Later…_

"Gylfie had a telescope and showed me some stars in the night sky!" Eglantine told them. "She says the dark is wonderful!"

That morning, Eglantine had her supper in bed and then, like a real night bird, she slept through the day.

When Eglantine woke, it was almost dark.

"Now who's a day bird!" she bellowed at the darkness.

Eglantine stared at her somnolent family. She wasn't going to hang about waiting for them. She might be missing something.

Eglantine floated down and landed like a soft white feather. Under the sapling, she perceived a snow owl.

"Hi, Alex!" Eglantine greeted deferentially.

" _Bonjour_ (Hello) _!"_ Alex said, glancing down and beaming at her. He then had a light bulb in his head.

I was just going exploring. Won't you come with me?" Alex asked, smiling at the little owlet.

"I would like to, I think," Eglantine replied, "but I'm afraid of the dark."

"But the dark is fascinating," Alex said, chuckling. "Look around you."

Eglantine glanced. The moon had risen. Everything was bathed in its natural illumination.

"Moonlight is magic," Alex told her. "Come with me and I will show you the nightfall world of owls. Will you come?"

"Yes, I will!" Eglantine said, nodding her head.

Alex took Eglantine up to the summit of the evergreens and they caught a glimpse of the sea of Hoolemere.

"This is my world!" Eglantine cheered to herself. "I am a night bird after all!"

"And this is only one sort of night," Alex said as he patted her on the head with his wing. "There are lots of other kinds, all so… irresistible.

"Thank you for showing me," Eglantine said as she hugged his fluffy belly. "I must go now and tell my mummy and daddy."

"Good night," Alex said, sighing happily. Eglantine took off as he whispered to himself, "and many, many good nights."

 _Later…_

Eglantine flew straight back to the Great Tree.

"Well?" Marella and Noctus said to their daughter.

"Tell us, little sister!" Soren said, waiting with bated breath for her response.

Eglantine captured a breath of air and commenced to speak.

"My brother said the dark is exciting, Otulissa said the dark is kind, Twilight and Digger said the dark is fun, Gylfie said the dark is wonderful and Alex said the dark is fascinating and irresistible.

"And what do you think, Eglantine?" Soren asked.

Eglantine fixed her gaze at Soren before glancing up at her parents with sparkling eyes.

"I think," Eglantine replied. "I think – DARK IS SUPER!"

Then, Eglantine took off to go hunting in the dark, Noctus and Marella on each side and Soren and Eglantine in the medial as they flew over the land of Ga'Hoole, following the luminosity of the full moon…

Eglantine – the night bird.

 **The End**

 _ **Now that was a great one-shot, wasn't it? For my first try on a Fanfiction of Legend of the Guardians, I can honestly say that I think I put some effort into this. Also, my first story completed (only because it was a one-shot)!**_

 _ **Hooray! :D**_

 _ **Be sure to press the favourite and follow button if you like this story!**_

 _ **Until then, peace out, birdies!**_

 _ **Tomadahawk**_


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